JSON vs XML
JSON vs XML compared — verbosity, schema, attributes, parsing and use cases, with free formatters and converters for both.
JSON and XML both serialise structured data, but JSON is lighter and now the default for web APIs, while XML offers richer document features — attributes, namespaces and schema validation — that still matter in enterprise and document-centric systems.
JSON vs XML at a glance
| JSON | XML | |
|---|---|---|
| Verbosity | Compact | Verbose (closing tags) |
| Attributes | No (key/value only) | Yes (element attributes) |
| Schema | JSON Schema (optional) | XSD/DTD (mature) |
| Namespaces | No | Yes |
| Parsing | Native in JS, fast | Heavier (DOM/SAX) |
| Typical use | Web/REST APIs | Documents, SOAP, config, feeds |
When to use JSON
Choose JSON for web and mobile APIs — smaller payloads, native browser support and simpler parsing make it the modern default.
When to use XML
Choose XML when you need attributes, namespaces, mixed content or strict schema validation — document formats, SOAP services and many enterprise integrations still rely on it.
Tools for JSON & XML
JSON vs XML
属性是如何表示的?
每个属性都会转换为带 `@` 前缀(可自定义)的键。`<note to="Tove">` 会转换为 `{"@to": "Tove"}`。
如果同一个标签在父元素中重复出现多次怎么办?
标签名相同的子元素会自动合并为一个 JSON 数组。
混合内容是如何处理的?
文本内容会与子元素并列存放在 `#text` 键(可自定义)下。
需要反向转换吗?
可以使用 <a class="text-brand-600 hover:underline" href="/json-to-xml">JSON to XML</a>;如果只需要美化格式,也可以用 <a class="text-brand-600 hover:underline" href="/xml-formatter">XML Formatter</a>。生成的 JSON 可以直接配合 <a class="text-brand-600 hover:underline" href="/json-formatter">JSON Formatter</a> 使用。